Blueprint to boost renewable schemes in park

The Peak District National Park Authority confirmed yesterday that it wanted all new development to have as low an environmental impact as possible with the new guidance adding to its existing stringent rules.

Planning officials stressed that the drive towards renewable and other eco-friendly forms of energy would not be to the detriment of the park and said its special landscape and heritage would be “safeguarded”.

According to the authority, the document, currently in draft form and open to consultation until August, would offer guidance on how to achieve its environmental objectives through the planning process.

The Peak Park’s effort follows a similar initiative in the North York Moors National Park where officers have looking in introduce more renewable energy schemes in a management plan which runs to 2017.

John Herbert, the chairman of the Peak District National Park Authority’s planning committee, said the document’s primary aim was to reduce electricity use, with more widespread introduction of insulation and other energy efficiency measures.

But he said guidance would also be given on the appropriate use of “suitable renewable energy solutions for the national park environment” as well as ideas on water conservation and flood risk reduction.

Recent advances in technology are covered, such as roof-based solar photo-voltaics and solar water heating, hydropower, wind-power and ground and air source heat pumps.

It also looks at more complex systems such as producing energy from farm waste using anaerobic digestion.

Mr Herbert added: “This is an important policy document and we need your help so that together we can finally shape these policies.

“We have a real commitment to encouraging sustainable development and renewable energy in ways that won’t harm our special landscape and its valued characteristics.

“These policies go right to the heart of ensuring a sustainable future for the national park while protecting its special qualities. That should be important to us all and that’s why we want people’s views.

“Lots of people have already been involved from community groups to farmers, planning agents and conservation bodies. Everyone, including those who made comments on the original draft, can now help us again.

“We are very keen for comments from parishes and local councils as well as from local residents. All those comments will help us in our planning process.”

The North York Moors National Park Authority recently turned down an application from a dairy farmer who wanted to build a 79ft high wind turbine to help cut his energy bills.

The applicant submitted figures to the North York Moors National Park Authority’s planning committee showing that his electricity bills were set to more than double from £18,000 to £40,000 over the next decade throwing the future of his business into jeopardy.

The authority said it now had the highest approval rate for renewable energy projects of any national park in Britain, with around 90 per cent of all applications granted.

But its director of planning Chris France warned the landscape of the national park would still come first, adding: “Members were very sympathetic to the challenges faced by the applicant but felt that the scale of the development would stand out significantly in the landscape.”

At the end of last year, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority planning committee voted unanimously to allow it to install 40 photovoltaic panels on the south facing roof of its office in Bainbridge.

At the time, the authority’s officers said they hoped the move would pave the way for many more householders who are currently struggling with rising fuel prices to follow suit.